Pocket billiard table



April 15, 1969 J, STENGEL ET AL 3,438,629

POCKET BILLIARD TABLE Filed Jan. 27, 1965 Sheet 0f 2 INVENTORS JA M55 L. 5'7'ENGEL NE// D. LEW/5 FIG. 4

yway M1 ATTORNEYS April 15, 1969 POCKET BILLIARD TABLE Filed Jan. 27, 1965 J. L. STENGEL ET AL Sheet 2 0f 2 JAMES L.

NE/L D INVEN'FGRS STE/v c251. L Evy/5 United States Patent Olfice 3,438,629 Patented Apr. 15, 1969 3,438,629 POCKET BILLIARD TABLE James L. Stengel and Neil D. Lewis, both Dakota Granite C0., P.O. Box 269, Milbank, S. Dak. 57252 Filed Jan. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 428,293 Int. Cl. A63d 15/00 US. Cl. 273-6 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention pertains to an improved pocket billiard table and more particularly to a pocket billiard table having a rectangular shaped slab of granite in the bed thereof.

In the present invention the playing surface of the billiard table is a rectangular shaped granite slab covered by felt cloth. The felt covered, granite playing surface is a great deal faster and truer than any material used in prior art billiard tables. Also, as will be disclosed presently, the construction of the new billiard table is such that it is not necessary to cut holes or notches in the granite for the pockets. Thus, the granite slab is rectangu lar in shape and, therefore, relatively inexpensive and simple to produce.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved pocket billiard table.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a faster and truer pocket billiard table.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pocket billiard table having a rectangular shaped granite slab in the bed thereof, said rectangular shape being simpler and cheaper to produce.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the accompanying specification, claims, and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters indi cate like parts throughout the figures:

FIG. 1 is a top plan of the new billiard table portions thereof broken away;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the new billiard table;

FIG. 3 is a view in end elevation of the new billiard table;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view as seen along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view some parts removed and other parts broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view as seen along the line 6-6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view as seen along the line 7-7 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detailed view of one corner of the new billiard table some parts thereof removed.

In the figures a pocket billiard table A is illustrated in which the numeral 10 designates a rectangular shaped granite slab. The granite slab 10 is mounted in overlying relationship on a rectangular shaped board 11 which has somewhat greater dimensions than the dimensions of the granite slab 10. The board 11 may be composed of some material such as plywood and is utilized as a means for attaching the remainder of the components. Rails 12 are fixedly attached to the board 11 and in abutting relationship with the edges of the granite slab 10. Rails -12 are approximately the same thickness as the granite slab 10 and maintain the granite slab 10 fixedly positioned on the board 11. The granite slab 10 fixedly mounted on the board 11 by means of the rails 12 comprise the bed of the billiard table A.

A bed frame generally designated 13 and shown in FIG. 5, is comprised of a plurality of longitudinal slats 14 and a plurality of spaced-apart cross pieces 15 and 18 and two cross boards 19 fixedly attached therebetween. The cross pieces 15 are located at the ends of slats 14, the cross pieces 18 are equally spaced, centrally between cross pieces 15, and the cross boards 19 are spaced inwardly between the cross pieces 15 and 18. The bed frame 13 is fixedly attached to the underside of the board 11 by some means such as screws or the like, Fixedly attached to the bed frame 13 by means of cross boards 19 is a pair of legs 16, which are approximately the same length as the cross boards 19 and have a somewhat diamond shaped cross section. The legs 16 and frame 13 serve to maintain the bed of the billiard table substantially horizontal and spaced the desired height. from the floor. Fixedly attached between the legs 16 is an arch shaped support 17. The upper part of the arch support 17 is fixedly attached to the underside of cross pieces 18 to add stability to the table while preventing any movement between the bed frame 13 and legs 16.

A felt cloth 20 is stretched taut across the upper surface of the granite slab 10 and the rails 12. The felt cloth 20 is secured to the rails 12 by some means such as tacking. A hand rest 21 having resilient bumper means 22 aflixed to one edge thereof is firmly mounted on the rails 12 so that the bumper means 22 is parallel to the edge of the granite slab 10 and in overlying relationship therewith. The underside of the hand rest 21 is flat and parallel with the upper side of the rail 12 while the upper side of the hand rest 21 is curved somewhat downwardly from a longitudinal line through the hand rest 21 and above approximately the central portion of the rail 12.

The hand rest 21 overhangs the rail 12 and a skirt 23 composed of wood or other similar material is firmly fixed to the outer edge of the hand rest 21 in a vertical position. The skirt 23 completely encircles the billiard table A and extends downwardly a sufiicient distance to enclose the bed and the bed frame 13. The skirt 23 and a portion of the hand rest 21, to a line approximately above the central area of the rail 12, are covered by some material such as naugahyde or other leather-like material. The remainder of the hand rest 21 and the bumper 22 are covered by felt cloth. The naugahyde and the felt cloth on the bumper 22 may be attached by some means such as gluing.

At one end of the table an opening is provided in the skirt 23 and shelves 30 and 31 are placed therein. Shelves 30 and 31 are to be utilized as storage space for the billiard balls. In this disclosure the shelves 30 and 31 are covered with naugahyde in a fashion similar to the skirt 23 to improve the aesthetic value of the table A.

Six ball-receiving pockets 25 are positioned about the table A in the usual manner with a pocket at each corner and one on either side midway the long side of the table A. As ca nbe seen in the figures the board 11 has notches 26 cut therefrom and the rails 12 placed on the board 11 are cut to partially encircle the pockets 25. The hand rest 21 and the bumpers 22 partially encircle the upper end of the pocket 25 in the usual manner so that a ball may be received from the bed into the pocket 25. The pocket 25 is so positioned with relation to the rails 12, the hand rest 21 and the bumpers 22 that a ball rolling on the felt covered granite slab 10 will drop directly into the pocket 25 from the granite slab 10 without rolling on any other material. In addition, the rails 12, hand rest 21 and bumpers 22 are so positioned with relation to the granite slab 10 that the corners of the granite slab 10 do not require notches cut therein but instead are substantially right angles. As can be seen in FIG. 8 only the slightest camber is required at the corner of the granite slab 10 to provide the desired playing surface and prevent chipping or breaking of the sharp corner.

By providing the rails 12 under the bumpers 22 in the surface area of the bed which does not have balls traveling thereon the granite slab 10 can be constructed in a rectangular shape with no notches cut therein to position the pockets 25. It can be seen from the figures that the balls will be retained on the felt covered granite playing surface by the bumpers 22 until they actually fall off an edge or a corner into a pocket 25. Thus, the present table has many advantages over the prior art in that the playing surface is much faster and truer and the granite slab 10 is simpler and cheaper to construct since it has a rectangular shape.

I claim:

1. A pocket billiard table comprising:

(a) a substantially rectangular shaped granite slab opposite sides of which are substantially parallel throughout the length thereof;

(b) a frame having legs depending therefrom;

() means affixing said granite slab to said frame for maintaining said slab horizontal;

(d) resilient bumper means;

(e) means fixedly mounting said bumper means parallel to and in overlying relationship with the edges of said granite slab;

(f) felt cloth afiixed in contiguous overlying relationship to said granite slab and said bumper means; and

(g) a plurality of ball receiving pockets fixedly attached to said bumper mounting means in juxtaposition to said granite slab and partially encircled at the top by said bumper means for receiving balls directly from said felt covered surface of said granite slab.

2. A pocket billiard table comprising:

(a) a bed including a substantially rectangular shaped granite slab opposite sides of which are substantially parallel throughout the length thereof mounted in overlying relationship on a rectangular shaped board and having rails affixed to said board in abutting relationship to the edges of said granite slab;

(b) a bed frame affixed to said board and having legs depending therefrom for maintaining said bed substantially horizontal and spaced vertically a desired height from a floor or the like;

(c) resilient bumper means fixedly attached to said rails parallel to and in overlying relationship with the edges of said granite slab;

(d) felt cloth aflixed in contiguous overlying relationship to said granite slab and said bumper means; and

(e) a plurality of ball receiving pockets fixedly attached to said rails in juxtaposition to said granite slab and partially encircled at the top by said bumper means for receiving balls directly from said felt covered surface of said granite slab.

3. A pocket billiard table comprising:

(a) a rectangular shaped granite slab opposite sides of which are substantially parallel throughout the length thereof having corners thereon which are substantially right angles;

(b) a frame having legs depending therefrom;

(c) means affixing said granite slab to said frame for maintaining said slab horizontal;

(d) resilient bumper means;

(e) means fixedly mounting said bumper means parallel to and in overlying relationship with the edges of said granite slab for maintaining billiard balls on said slab;

(f) felt cloth affixed in contiguous overlying relationship to said granite slab and said bumper means; and

(g) a ball receiving pocket fixedly attached to said bumper mounting means in juxtaposition to the apex of each of said right angle corners and in juxtaposition to each edge midway the long sides of said slab, said pockets being partially encircled at the top by said bumper means and having openings in said bumper means for receiving balls directly from said felt covered surface of said granite slab.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,391,395 12/1945" Dobicki 2736 2,992,001 7/1961 Ferris 2.7351 X FOREIGN PATENTS 9,410 4/1907 Great Britain.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 273l2 

